Struggling with idea of raising layout height

I’m planning on making some changes to my 10x11 N-Scale train room and thinking about raising the height of my layout while I’m at it. It is 37” high at the moment and I’m thinking about 40” or at the most 42” so I can utilize the space underneath with a chest of drawers or maybe a rack to store staging cassettes.

I’m a short guy with a bad back and knees so I cannot stand for any length of time. I have a chair on wheels that’s 24” high that would put my arms at 40” high while setting, but I was wondering if maybe I should go to 42 since I’m going through the trouble.

I’m worried that I will not be able to see the back of the layout and I surely will not be able to reach anything in the back since it is 36” deep without a stepladder. On the other hand if I stay below 40” I can always use a standard chair if I want to view at eye level and switch chairs to have higher view.

I searched and read a lot of opinions about the height and I know it’s purely a personal choice, but I don’t want to make a mistake. So what I’m interested in now is if any of you with high layouts have any regrets.

 

Thanks, Well that’s an idea. I guess I could experiment with the different heights first before making it permanent. I have it on table legs now and to want to support it from the walls and do away with the legs because they are always in my way. I guess I need to think about this more.

 

Umm! Another good idea, thanks. I have an old 34" x 24" E-Z track oval from an old Bachmann train set that I could temporally set up on a door out on my patio to experiment with. I could make some adjustable legs out of 2x4s.
I had to remove the door to the train room because it would not open all the way with the layout in there, so I have it and just need to go buy some 2x4s.
My train room is too small and cramped to really do much moving around in so the patio is the only place I could do that.

 

I too use cardboard mock ups, they don't have to fancy and often my mock up lasts about ten minutes. Other times I'll leave up a cardboard mock up for a week or two to see if what I like or dislike changes as I ponder.

And if you need large cardboard, call up the bicycle shops as bikes come in large boxes and they are usually happy to give those boxes away.

 

Thanks Rick, I haven't had a chance to get out to buy any 2x4s yet today, but I'll have to look in the morning to see if I have any cardboard. I usaly like to have a few pieces around for working under the car, but my son was here for Christmas and changed his oil before going home and might have used it up.
Anyway I was playing around with some ideas of making the layout adjustable. I wish i could suspend it from the ceiling, but it might be too heavy.

 

OK so I’m thinking about using Rubbermaid FastTrack White Uprights to hang the layout on so I can adjust to whatever works for me.

My only problem is the 1” depth which is a real problem when multiplied by 2 for opposing walls. Two inches is going to mean major modifications for my U-shaped layout and I’m done with that sort of thing.

I may have to install 2ft high tracks under the layout around the walls and then come up with a solution for extension pieces to hang on the tracks to support the layout frame above. I’m now looking for some sort of hook that could fasten to wood and hook onto the track. I hope I don’t have to make my own out of sheet metal.

 

WOW! What a great idea! I can use that idea to hang a large yard under my layout.

 

Thanks Mike, I’m kind of excited about it myself for that very reason. I only wish that I would have thought about it before I built the layout. I think I would have run the shelf track all the way up the walls so that I could also add a shelf layout around the walls above the layout.

I found some ½” deep track at Home Depot and I might be able cut some dadoes so that I can run them all the way up, but it’s really going be a lot of work pulling each side out to make the cuts. So right now I’m planing on having the top shelf bracket at the bottom of the frame in the lowest position and then add long horizontal 2x4s or whatever is needed to raise the layout to a good height.

 

Instead of pulling layout sections out to modify them, consider using your temporary leg extensions to lift your layout to the desired height. You could screw L-girders to the walls to support the frame. Then cut angle braces to support the front of your layout sections. The angled boards should be out of your way to be able to roll your chair around to operate or work on the layout. You can also build supports directly on top of your chest of drawers.

Many different ways to come to a satisfactory result. Finding what works best for you personally may be the hard part. Keep at it. And don't be afraid to ask for more advise.

 

Thanks David, actually this was what I started out to do and got side tracked trying to decide on a height before screwing into the walls. The funny thing is while trying to come up with an adjustable solution I ended right back where I started only with the added expense of a shelving system. LOL

Anyway after thinking about your post I realized that you are right. Since I’m not going all the way up the wall due to the clearance issues, I might as well save some money and just screw a wood ledge to the wall. I can then use blocks to adjust he height by setting them on the ledge under the frame.

So this is exactly what I’m going to do. Thanks again.

 

Take a look at how a jeweler works. Standard chair against a 42 inch desk, no stooping while they work. Great for the back. Also supports their hands at eye level for close work.

 

Not sure if I'm seeing the situation clearly. But, if the layout is free standing can you get help lifting it up and putting books or other objects under the legs to try different views-heights and accessibility (reaching in to fix a derailment/stall-out at the rear) and then cut new legs for ? Also, unless it's a shelf layout, you realize you won't be able to eliminate all the legs unless you can suspend it with strong wire, rope or chains from above. Finally, you could cut say, 2"x 3" legs which will run at a 45 Deg. angle from front edge (a few inches back from) to back wall at the floor, for support. Then you might have the storage area you want, and ease of getting under to do wiring or such. Sorry to hear of your handicap..

 

I did make table leg extensions out of steel pipes that slipped on each leg with 1” wood dowels inside cut to set the height and they worked well. (I know I took photos for posting years ago, but I just can’t find them at the moment) The only problem was the location of the legs because the 2 portable layouts are 8 ft long and the table legs are approximately 5ft apart in the center making it difficult to store anything large.

I then removed one table and built something to bolt to the wall so I could open up the space under it for a portable staging area as shown below, but my design failed miserably after a year because it sagged. So I tore it all out and went back to the table.



Now I can’t put my dresser drawers back under the layout and the legs are in my way to store anything like my Christmas O-scale Train collection which has gotten “huge” over the years. One of my obsessions is that I like everything stored by category, so I want everything in the train room that’s associated with “trains” no matter what scale it is.

 

If that is what your storage items are I think you're cutting off your nose to spite your face. If this is what's dictating your space problems you really aught to man up, put your O stuff elsewhere, build 'normal' MRR benchwork and fuggeddaboudit !!

 

No there is plenty of room for the O-Scale storage if I can get to the far back corners and beside I don’t really have any other place to put it.

It’s just a hassle to do anything under there with the table legs the way they are. The biggest problem is that I want to be able to slide long staging cassettes underneath. I don’t have a plan yet for the rack but it has to be at least 4ft long and preferably 5ft on wheels such as a rollout cart to set the cassettes on and I need to be able to have room to manipulate the cart tight toward the back so my chair can get up close to the layout.

Anyway I going to start building the tables today and I hope I’ll be able to get at least one side done,

 

John, again I have to ask : Why don't you angle , what looks like will be a total of 2 metal legs, 1 under each section, so that they angle toward the wall molding approx. 45 deg. and are 2"x 3" lumber. Very strong and will make it easier for you to roll your chair toward ends opposite the window ends. I too have a black office chair for moving around under open grid bench, and my several vertical legs are a drag to maneuver around, along with drill or soldering gun cords. Another concern is if the both tables are for the MRR, how will they be connected RR-wise ? And what is that thing under the window, a work bench?

 

Hi MarkinLA and thanks for replying. I’m not sure if there are limits of the post size so I may have to break this up a little to answer all your questions.

As far as the angled legs, I could do that but sometimes I need to pull boxes out from the end and I have done exactly as you mentioned for a counter top in my wife’s sewing room, but I feel that it is going too much pulling force away from the wall and will require large lag bolts. As it is, I’m having second thoughts about how I’m going to attach it to the wall and may be looking into French cleats to attach to the wall.



I only wish I would have thought about it prior to gluing all the pieces together because I could have made my own out of wood. Not only would it allow me to use smaller wood screws, but also would allow me to easily remove the tables if I need to do anything with the room. One of the walls is a major plumbing wall servicing a full bath on the other side and also the main hot and cold water supply with the water heater on the floor below so I don’t want to take the chance with lag bolts.

 

The actual layouts are flat portable modules that can be picked up and moved out the door if need be. The two are connected by a removable bridge on the far wall. Plus I have all the DCC electronics and turnout servos mounted underneath each layout and I tilt the layout up for access to them.